ET II Uni-Lug Wheel Restoration - What's Old IS NEW AGAIN

Bringing Life Back To Some Five-Spokes

Recently, when I brought home a well-worn '67 Camaro, I received an added bonus: the late-'60s classic was rolling on a fairly decent set of ET II Uni-Lug wheels that appeared to be in restorable condition.

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The old five-spokes are growing in popularity and, with the release of the American Racing Torque Thrust IIs a few years ago, they seem to be on almost everything. So much so that it is refreshing to see an old-cast-finish set amongst the sea of polished spokes.

Once I inspected the wheels closely, I came to the conclusion that they wouldn't be too hard to whip back into shape. I hate paint stripping with a passion, but had heard good things about Resto-Motive Laboratories' Por-Strip, so I decided to give it a try. As it turned out, it was the best paint-removing experience I've ever had. If it works on a complete car anything like it did on these wheels, it's well worth the money. Follow along to see how an old, tired set of vintage mags can be made to look like new again.

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ET II Uni-Lug Wheel Restoration - What's Old IS NEW AGAIN

Here’s what I was starting out with: The old ET II Uni-Lugs looked bad, but upon closer inspection, were not too beat up. The outer lips hadn’t kissed too many curbs, and all four wheels were deemed very salvageable.

I started by hosing off and drying each wheel to remove the dirt. I then sprayed on the Por-Strip paint remover, making sure to cover the entire painted portion, and waited the instructed 15 minutes.

When I returned, I found the paint to be wrinkled and ready for removal.

The paint was easily removed with a small, brass-bristle brush. The old paint came off in dry sheets with no gooey mess

Once most of the paint was gone, I neutralized the Por-Strip with a spray of water while I removed the small amount on remaining paint with a scuffy pad.

The ET IIs were a smooth casting and did not have the rough-cast finish of some vintage five-spokes, so they were easily sanded with some 100-grit sandpaper to smooth out any blemishes they suffered from 30 years of use.

A flat file was all that was needed to remove the sharp edges on the center cap mounting surface. I wanted to ensure that the center caps would sit flush.

The outer edge of the wheel was carefully masked to avoid any over-spray. After talking to the owner of ET Wheels (they're still in business), he suggested Eastwood Detail Gray as the paint that's closest to the original finish. Several light coats were all that was needed to bring the spokes back to life.

The outer rim was cleaned up and polished by jacking up the back of my Monte Carlo and mounting the wheel on the axle. With jackstands in place and the front wheels blocked, I started the car and placed the trans in Drive at idle. The wheels spun as I carefully used sandpaper, a scuffy pad, and a rag with some polishing compound until the outer rim shined like new. If your valve stem is on the outer edge, do not do this.

We finished off the wheel with new, short aluminum caps from American Racing (the early wheels have a wider cap than the new Torque Thrust IIs). The finished wheel looks great and is ready for plenty more miles, making a period-perfect addition to a classic musclecar. Now all I need are some cheater slicks and I'll be hitting the streets.

Looking to get new wheels and rims for your Camaro, then don't look no further and take a look at these 21 companies with variety of styles ranging from Forgeline through Summit Racing. - Camaro Performers Magazine » Read More

When we first met Anthony Stephenson and Ben Hermance at Grip Equipped, we knew they’d be the perfect partners for our 1983 Buick Regal "G Machine" project. Grip Equipped’s line of custom forged wheels is aimed at discerning muscle car builders, with an eye towards other applications and future endeavors. » Read More